VOTING in Nigeria ended well beyond schedule in many places on Saturday as delays sparked fears of vote tampering in Africa’s most populous nation.

Election officials blamed the delays on logistical issues, though some observers pointed to the upheaval created by a redesigned currency that has left many unable to obtain bank notes. 

The cash shortage affected transport not only for voters but also election workers and police officers providing security.

In the north-west Bauchi state, Lagos-based Channels TV reported that voters were still voting using torchlights at around 9pm.

And in Abuja and Delta state, voters stuck around to monitor the process and ensure the results were not tampered with.

“Nightfall has come — anything can happen [now],” Torke Ezekiel said after casting his ballot.

Mahmood Yakubu, head of Nigeria’s election commission, said that national collation of results in the presidential election would commence at noon on Sunday. 

“We are making very steady progress and we will continue to ensure that nothing truncates our democracy or truncates the will of the Nigerian people,” said Mr Yakubu, the election chief.

But Mucahid Durmaz, senior analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, a global risk intelligence company, said there have been “widespread complaints about late-arriving officials, non-functioning machines, low presence of security and attacks on polling stations.”

Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari is stepping down after two four-year terms in Nigeria.

Out of the field of 18 presidential candidates, three front-runners emerged in recent weeks: the candidate from Buhari’s ruling party, the main opposition party candidate and a third-party challenger who has drawn strong support from younger voters.

But it remained unclear how many voters were deterred because of the cash crisis, which has left Nigerians with funds in their bank accounts unable to obtain the cash they need for things like petrol and taxis.